50 civilians dead in US-led airstrikes against ISIS in Syria – UN

A pair of U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles fly over northern Iraq after conducting airstrikes in Syria, in this U.S. Air Force handout photo (Reuters/U.S. Air Force) / Reuters

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria has killed 865 people since the start of the airstrikes in late September, at least 50 of them civilians, a new report from the UN chief reveals.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the strikes alone
cannot defeat the militant Islamist group and cited estimates of
civilian casualties caused by the bombing.
“The international coalition continued airstrikes against ISIL in
Syria on a near-daily basis with reports of some 865 people
killed, including 50 civilians, in Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Hasakeh,
Idlib and Raqqa since strikes began,” the report said.

Meanwhile, the “armed opposition and designated terrorist
groups continue shelling government-controlled areas, including
in civilian-populated areas... including in Damascus, Homs, Hama
and Quneitra,” according to the report.

Ban warned that “a military campaign alone [against the IS]
could lead to further radicalization and spark a cycle of renewed
violence,” adding that the Islamic State intensified its
recruitment efforts inside and outside of Syria.

The document focused on the July 14 resolution, which approved
delivery of aid into rebel-held areas in Syria without the
government approval through the four border crossings. Ban
confirmed that the UN team was able to access an average of 66
hard to reach areas per month since the resolution was passed, up
from an average of 38 per month during the four months prior to
the vote.

Following the report, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos told the
Security Council that an estimated of 12.2 million people need
assistance in Syria – a rise from 10.8 million in July. At the
same time, Amos said that aid coming in from Turkey and Jordan is
making a difference and called on the UNSC to extend the
authorization that expires on January 9.

Critics of the US-led bombing warfare against ISIS in Iraq and
Syria have asserted that not only is this tactic ineffective – it
also encourages more people to join radical groups.

“It is completely unsuccessful from the standpoint of
destroying ISIS, but it’s an enormous success story for ISIS. It
is actually helping the Sunni Islamists recruit new people – more
than a thousand every month from across Asia, Africa, and the
Middle East,” retired US Army Colonel Douglas MacGregor told
RT.

According to MacGregor, Washington should not step into the
conflict and leave it at the regional level.